The parka I've looked for all my life

Seine River Parka

My trail cam was the photographer for my fashion shoot this morning. I'm wearing the most unique garment I've ever seen. It is a wool felt parka made by Seine River Shepherds in eastern Manitoba.
My goodness but if this isn't the coat I've had in my mind's eye forever!
I picked it up at Egli's Farm in Minnitaki (just west of Dryden, ON) this fall.
It is wool felt so it is denser than a knitted garment and therefore more closed to the wind while still being totally breathable.
It is also generously cut, something just not found in any other parka out there. This lets a person add layers underneath without making the coat tight and therefore cold.
It also has a unique cut to the bottom. Rather than being sewn evenly across the hem it has flaps for-and-aft that make it easier to sit down. I'm just guessing that Seine River made this for horseback riding but it works just as well for sitting down in the truck.
The parka had an internal wool belt that I found was in the wrong position, for me at least. It tied right around the middle of my gut. So I pulled it out and tie it around the outside at my waist. This is not only more comfortable but also warmer since it seals the parka at the bottom of the torso. I'm toying with the idea of using a Metis sash for this. It would certainly be more colourful. Etchiboy is a great Canadian and indigenous people's website for authentic voyageur-style sashes. I will probably stick with the wool belt because it is more functional for me although the wide sashes of the voyageurs were also made for a reason: they were hernia belts. These small, wiry men of both native-Scottish and native-French descent were legendary for the incredible loads they carried from the interior of Canada to and from fur-trading posts at Fort William (now Thunder Bay) and Montreal.
I love the fact that my new parka is made locally from renewable materials. Buying local not only helps out your local economy but also is a key part of living sustainably.